Spotify previews SongDNA music discovery feature

Spotify’s SongDNA displays an interactive map that shows collaborators, samples, and cover versions of a selected track.

Spotify is previewing a new tool called “SongDNA“. This is part of a broader effort to spotlight the people and creative connections behind the music listeners stream every day. The company previously said the update should help fans understand how songs are created. This follows the rollout of expanded Song Credits on mobile and desktop, unlocking more detailed attribution for contributors, including assistant engineers, additional producers, and other behind-the-scenes roles that historically haven’t always appeared in streaming metadata.

Spotify’s upcoming SongDNA feature takes things further by visualizing the relationships between songs. The tool creates an interactive map that displays collaborators, samples, and cover versions connected to a track. The feature relies in part on data from WhoSampled, which Spotify recently acquired. WhoSampled’s database tracks how songs sample or reference one another, giving listeners insight into a track’s influences and lineage.

Spotify Premium users will eventually see SongDNA in the “Now Playing” view, where they can explore the creative roots of the music they’re listening to. Early beta testers on Reddit have described SongDNA as one of the most useful additions to Spotify in years because it surfaces connections between songs that aren’t always obvious.

Some artists and beta testers already have access to the feature.

Spotify hasn’t announced a full release date for SongDNA yet. However, the company confirmed that artists will receive an early preview through “Spotify for Artists Preview”. This program allows creators to test upcoming features before public release. Artists with admin or editor access, at least 10 monthly listeners, and a recent version of the Spotify mobile app can already explore the tool in preview builds.

For now, SongDNA appears only in limited beta testing, though a small number of listeners have reported seeing it in their apps. If early feedback holds, Spotify’s latest discovery tool could make it easier for listeners to trace the creative networks behind the songs they love, and for the people behind those songs to finally get the recognition they deserve.